Flowcamper rolls out the first campervan built around the needs of our canine friends

There is something exciting about having your dog hike with you during the day and sit alongside you at the campfire by night. This is why many adventurers prefer to have their dogs along on their campervan when they head out. And this is not just true for solo travelers, in fact, small families on long road trips prefer to travel with their dogs.

To make this adventure more suitable and comfortable for both the pets and their humans, Germany-based Flowcamper has come up with the Fellschnute: the first campervan built around the needs of our canine friends. Well, the campervan is customizable to make the road trip experience desirable for dogs, it does not at any point, compromise on the convenience and functionality of the people onboard.

Designer: Flowcamper

The Fellschnute dog camper designed for adventurous outings with dogs, has a customizable interior based on the modular floor rail system. This makes dedicated areas for the pet and humans possible, so each can have their spacious living area, yet stay at a safe distance from the other. To that accord, the configuration of the dog area in the rear of the vehicle is such that it can be accessed from either an interior door or the one facing the tailgate.

This space for dogs, which is way more than the little nooks dogs get to themselves on other campervans, can easily “accommodate one to four dogs,” depending on the choice of kennel layout the customer opts for, Flowcamper informs. Above the spacious dog area, the Fellschnute makes provision to mount a fold-out bed and if you have more than a couple of people lying over, the bed in the pop-up roof is usable.

The living area for humans comprises special seats that can track back and forth or be positioned in any orientation to create a more spacious living space. Here you also have a small corner kitchen behind the driver’s seat. The kitchen is laid out with a 30-liter compressor cool box, a two-burner stove, and a sink. The utensils and other kitchen accessories hide away in drawers while a table swivels out for dining and working needs.

Interesting part of the Fellschnute campervan is its 18-L fresh water system which is linked up to the kitchen sink and hand sprayer at the back to wash up a dirty dogo or clean up your gear. Flowcamper also offers a portable air conditioner that doesn’t help with the cooling of the campervan, instead is specially designed to keep the dog kennel(s) temperature down by almost 15 degrees. For human convenience, however, there is a dry separating toilet that can be hidden from sight or can be pulled out in the open to double up as a bench at camp. The campervan draws power from a 400-watt solar system onboard and retails for a starting price of $75,000.

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Ten landscape architecture projects by the University of Southern California

Visualisation showing a map of a city

Dezeen School Shows: a park in downtown LA built beside a railway station is included in Dezeen’s latest school show by students at the University of Southern California.

Also included is a scheme that aims to implement landscape architecture methods that stop diseases from spreading, as well as a project examining the impact of wildfires.


University of Southern California

Institution: University of Southern California
School: School of Architecture
Course: Master of Landscape Architecture and Urbanism
Tutors: Alexander Robinson, Jessica Henson, Aroussiak Gabrielian, Jennifer Toy, David Maestres, Greg Kochanowski and Aja Bulla-Richards

School statement:

“Landscapes are the dynamic synthesis of natural systems, sociocultural forces and the physical material of the constructed world.

“The USC Graduate Programme in Landscape Architecture and Urbanism (MLA and U) prepares students to be leaders ready to take on challenges of climate change and environmental injustice through the design and planning of landscapes across scales.

“Landscape architecture is a broad field that encompasses the design of a complex range of environments outside our buildings.

“Our programme is focused on the public realm, spanning scales of impact from site design to urban design and infrastructure to territorial responses to climate stress that impact our immediate region and around the globe.

“With access to one of the most culturally and environmentally diverse geographies in the world – a biodiversity hotspot within an hour’s drive from the Pacific Ocean, the San Gabriel Mountains and the western edge of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts – Southern California offers a robust laboratory from which to learn, while offering applications all over the globe.

“The programme has formalised its priority areas in environmental, social and climate justice through the Landscape Justice Initiative.

“The initiative strengthens the programme’s standing commitment to applied research and practice in communities that design has not historically reached.

“It includes Test Plot, a programme focused on the future of land care.

“The Landscape Futures Lab offers a rigorous curriculum in biodesign and material experimentation, and the Los Angeles River Integrated Design Lab provides a hydraulic modelling facility that engages students first-hand with the complex hydrological pressures of urbanisation today.

“Students graduate from the MLA and U programme with a proactive toolkit to address the impacts of climate stress on vulnerable humans, species and natural systems.”


Visualisation showing a concrete square with plants and waterfalls on a university campus

The Tidepools by Danielle Vonlehe

“Catalina Island is located 47 miles from Los Angeles. Notable for its magnificent kelp forests, the Catalina Island Fox and minimal human development, this dynamic coastal ecology is integral to the biodiversity of the southern California region.

“This project, executed during the first semester of the three-year MLA programme at USC, is a translation of tidepool ecology from Cata­lina Island to a barren concrete square on the USC Campus.

“The ground is structured on five different levels. Three high and two low levels correspond to the three high tides and two low tides per day on Catalina Island.

“The design is a multifunctional assemblage that takes into account the university’s circulation – some areas serve as intimate spaces in which to study or think, while others offer more expansive space to host large social groups or an outdoor class.

“A path matching the USC grid cuts through the more curvilinear plan to be conducive to heavy foot traffic. All materials and planting are representative of geologic and vegetative patterns on Cata­lina Island.”

Student: Danielle Vonlehe
Course: Studio 1 of 6 – Introduction to Landscape Architecture Design
Tutor: Alexander Robinson
Email: dani[at]terremoto.la


Visualisation showing green areas cutting through LA

Superhighways to Superblooms by Andrea Binz

“Pollution in Burbank and Glendale is among the worst in all of California and mainly stems from freeway traffic.

“We have spent decades and billions of dollars expanding highways to ‘solve’ gridlock, but this strategy has failed – conversely, removing or narrowing roads can reduce traffic.

“A framework plan is proposed to address the high burden of traffic and pollution in Burbank and Glendale. The strategies include pollution mitigation with green infrastructure along existing roads, road diets, vehicle electrification, high-speed rail and public transit investment and reclaiming highways into linear parks.

“Roads and interchanges become linear parks, stormwater infrastructure and community hubs.

“The freeways cut through many of our most polluted, underserved communities, and as our transit patterns change we have the choice of how to remake them.

“As landscape architects, we can choose to promote a healthier, more equitable Los Angeles.”

Student: Andrea Binz
Course: Course: Studio 3 of 6: Edge Conditions
Tutor: Jessica Henson
Email: abinz[at]alumni.usc.edu


Visualisation showing a river beside a city

The Water Agency Project by Leslie Dinkin

“The Water Agency Project envisions transforming the grid-locked Los Angeles River, prioritising ecological and social benefits while also addressing flood and drought risks.

“Instead of displacing over 100,000 residents required for total river renaturalisation, the project suggests rerouting I-710 through the existing Alameda Corridor and implementing a River Rail system.

“This approach would double the size of the riverbed, creating space for a semi-naturalised, semi-urban river.

“The redesigned Los Angeles River includes features like low-flow braided channels, terraced banks, detention ponds, riparian woodlands, parks, multi-use trails, dry meadows, affordable housing and green streets connecting neighbourhoods to the river.”

Student: Leslie Dinkin
Course: Studio 3 of 6 – Sepulvida Basin
Tutor: Jessica Henson
Email: dinkin[at]usc.edu


Diagrams showing ocean life

Toward a Sustainable Seafood Future by Colin Amos and Andrea Binz

“Our oceans are increasingly threatened by overfishing. The current structure of the commercial fishing industry is exploitative of both the environment and working-class communities.

“To transform the industry and reestablish it from the bottom up, this project proposes a resilient and sustainable modular ‘aquahabitat’ system for Southern California that would generate kelp forest habitat and launch a new mariculture paradigm growing marketable local fish species alongside algae and shellfish.

“This integrated multi-trophic aquaculture approach creates a permeable, functional habitat to attract and serve wild marine populations while creating novel opportunities in the Blue economy and reconnecting communities with the ocean and our food sources.”

Students: Colin Amos and Andrea Binz
Course: Studio 4 of 6 – Landscape Beyond Land
Tutor: Aroussiak Gabrielian
Emails: colinamos45[at]gmail.com and abinz[at]theolinstudio.com


Diagrams showing power lines

Wellness Against the Wires – An Alternative Approach to the Powerline Landscape by Wanxing Lin

“The site includes four types of transmission lines, power towers and one LADWP substation. Different land use types under power lines bring different potentials for urban space.

“Here are four types of relationships between the power line and the site that we could utilise to create variable experiences for spaces – expressive, implicit, hidden and exposed.

“Utilising all the ‘anti-EMF’, ‘anti-Noise’ and ‘anti-Heat’ kit of parts, the proposed framework, ‘powerline wire-zone revitalisation’, uses programming languages to bring a safe and wellness-minded open space back to the community.”

Student: Wanxing Lin
Course: Studio 5 of 6 – Corridor of Power: Designing a multi-sectorial framework for The Just City
Tutors: Jennifer Toy and David Maestres
Email: wanxingl[at]usc.edu


Visualisation showing various geographical features

Dam(m/n)ed Earth by Jared Edgar McKnight

“This research project focuses on soil rebuilding processes through the introduction of mortuary composting burial procedures in the semi-arid endorheic basin of the Owens Valley, California.

“Excess salinity in this region is exacerbated by severe access to water issues and generations of contentious water politics and constructed hydrologic conditions, that have dammed/damned and depleted regional ecologies, habitats and resources.

“The proposal defines phased parameters for salinity remediation while redefining rituals of death to progressively restore the habitat through resilient green burial processes for rebuilding soils.

“This responsive system of burial morphologies thus awakens an interconnectedness between the burial plot and the dormant ecologies of its context, through an emotive, healing and emergent topography that unfolds and temporally evolves with one’s stages of grief and acceptance [or decomposition] over time.

“Could the future of our burial landscapes facilitate a new form of engagement, whereby our landscapes of life and death reconcile and reconfigure our roles and purpose through one’s own body as a measure of resiliency?

“Damned Earth was exhibited in ‘The Future of _____Space’ show at the A+D Museum in 2020.”

Student: Jared Edgar McKnight
Course: Studio 4 of 6 – Landscape at the Intersection of Life and Death
Tutor: Aroussiak Gabrielian
Email: jarededgarmcknight[at]alumni.usc.edu
Award: Winner of the ASLA Honor Award in the General Design category and the 2020 Student Excellence Award from the Society of American Registered Architects (SARAs)


Visualisations showing the impact of wild fires

Learning from Animal Adaptations to Wildfire by Diana Nightingale and Andrea Binz

“As wildfires in the San Gabriel Mountains become more frequent and severe, we need to expand our suite of management tools beyond firefighting and fuel clearance by seeking new inspiration.

“Around the world, wildlife has complex relationships and strategies for coexisting with wildfire.

“In this research project, animal adaptations to wildfire inform a land management framework designed to catalyse regeneration of habitat niches in post-fire landscapes to support ecological resilience.

“Framework goals include increasing soil moisture (beaver), developing a mosaic of ecosystems (woodpecker), promoting dynamic stability (beetle), and supporting soil ecosystem services (ground squirrel).

“Interventions respond to local topography, strategically reuse materials produced by wildfire cycles and engage forest management, residents and volunteers in land care.

“The post-fire landscape is re-imagined as an opportunity to reshape the land over time through natural processes, promote recovery and adaptation, and provide for wildlife.”

Students: Diana Nightingale and Andrea Binz
Course: Studio 6 of 6 – The Wild
Tutor: Greg Kochanowski and Aja Bulla-Richards
Email: dianalnightingale[at]gmail.com and abinz[at]alumni.usc.edu


Visualisation showing a map of a city

Beyond Barriers by Viraj Chauhan

“Sepulveda Basin is a 2000-acre flood mitigation infrastructure in the heart of San Fernando Valley, LA.

“Yet, this massive public property is cut off from the communities closest to it due to a lack of accessibility due to transport and flood mitigation infrastructure and complimentary amenities.

“The project aims to reconnect the basin and its amenities to communities in dire need.

“It aims to increase biodiversity, habitat and shade equity in the region while naturalising the LA River and expanding the capacity and hydrological performance of the basin for flood mitigation.”

Student: Viraj Chauhan
Course: Studio 3 of 6 – Sepulvida Basin
Tutor: Jessica Henson
Email: vcchauha[at]usc.edu


Visualisation showing a plan view of an urban square

Angel’s Knoll: A Los Angeles Landmark Park by Zhiya Azalea Huang

“Lying in the topographic heart of Downtown LA’s fevered cultural renaissance lies an incredible and seemingly disregarded treasure – a steep vacant lot bracketed by the antique funicular railway station named ‘Angel’s Landing’.

“The site resembles a perfect park, so much so that it was used as the generic park bench setting in a scene in the beloved romcom ‘500 Days of Summer’.

“On this site, the project proposes a verdant park and series of winding paths to link between the old downtown and new downtown, while also celebrating one of the last remaining undeveloped pieces of Los Angeles’s famous Bunker Hill.

“The project capitalises on the site’s natural assets and a growing interest in stair streets and pedestrian passages to create a dynamic Los Angeles landmark landscape.”

Student: Zhiya Azalea Huang
Course: Studio 1 of 6 – Translations and Dialectics
Tutor: Alexander Robinson
Email: zhiyahua[at]usc.edu


Visualisations and diagrams showing structures in a rural area

Resilient Fields: Enhancing Disease Prevention through Diverse Landscape Strategies by Adrian Porter

“When it comes to reducing pathogen burden and avoiding the chances of stripe rust spreading throughout the Central Valley, there has been only one singular solution towards its prevention.

“Breeding programmes – many of which have been operated by only a handful of companies – create gene-resistant varieties able to withstand the disease.

“However, over-prioritisation of breeding programmes as the only means of defence has allowed for spatial and temporal assemblages to become vulnerable to disease spread if gene resistance were to fail.

“This project looks at other landscape methods of stopping disease spread, such as windbreaks, topography and species diversity to create a stronger system of disease evasion and mitigation.”

Student: Adrian Porter
Course: Studio 4 of 6 – Edible Matters
Tutor: Aroussiak Gabrielian
Email: adrianpo[at]usc.edu

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Southern California. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Ten landscape architecture projects by the University of Southern California appeared first on Dezeen.

Futuristic Bluetooth speaker concept is inspired by electric cars

Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen these days, but the majority of them share one particular trait. They’re designed with aesthetics to fit inside the house, sometimes looking like elegant pieces of interior decoration even. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but they do imply or even explicitly state that these speakers should not be taken out of the house. There will always be times when you wish you could bring your trusty wireless speaker along with you, but at the same time don’t want to take out what looks like a military weapon out of your bag or car. This Bluetooth speaker aims to strike a balance between durability and bold design, and it does so by taking a few pages out of an electric vehicle’s design book.

Designer: Billy Ernst

Electric vehicles or EVs are touted to be the cars of the future, mostly because of their more eco-friendly mode of operation and advanced electronics, but there are some EV makers that take that identity beyond just internal components. Rivian’s adventure vehicles, for example, employ a combination of angular and muscular elements, sharp lines, bold proportions, and distinctive lighting that make the EVs look like TRON vehicles come to life. It’s no wonder, then, that the RIFT Bluetooth speaker concept gives off that same futuristic vibe, demonstrating a design that looks great not just outdoors but indoors as well.

Unlike regular speakers, RIFT comes in an oval ring shape that leaves its middle completely hollow. With the speaker mesh that wraps around the exterior surface, it almost looks like the tread of a tank. Although it comes in different colors, the options are limited to earthy tones that match the EV maker’s own selection, including Glacier White, Rivian Blue, Compass Yellow, and Midnight Black. The LED lighting on the rim serves as a unique accent that brings a sci-fi aesthetic while also providing functionality as a battery level and pairing indicator.

There aren’t too many details in the design that distract from the overall appearance. There are only four control buttons for power, volume, and pairing, and they’re mostly hidden from view on the inner surface of the loop. The more visible button on the top serves both as pause/play control as well as branding. Other than these, the entire body of the speaker is one unbroken ring, giving it a unified and bold appearance while also evoking a sense of stability and reliability.

Given the shape of the speaker, there might be some concerns about the direction that the sound will travel because of the positioning of the speakers. There’s also mention of any dust and water resistance that is a must-have for any adventurous pieces of electronic equipment. Of course, these are just implementation details that wouldn’t really affect the core concept of a bold and daring speaker that can accompany you on your adventures, even if that means just staying at home.

The post Futuristic Bluetooth speaker concept is inspired by electric cars first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sidekick Notepad is a simple writing tool for the digital/analog hybrid workers

Over the years I have learned to embrace a digital + analog hybrid workflow process. While most of my work goes straight to the computer, tablet, or mobile phone that I’m working on at the moment, I still like having a pen and paper with me at all times to jot down things I’m thinking about or things I need to do. There’s something therapeutic about writing it down rather than just typing it out so products that can give me that convenience are always welcome.

Designer: Cortex

The Sidekick Notepad is basically a writing pad where you can jot things down while having a meeting or while doing your normal, every day tasks. It is designed to fit either above or under your keyboard and is meant to be your “sidekick” if you’re like me that sometimes likes to put her to-do list on paper rather than on pixels. There’s a section to put the date, a huge section for notes, and then on the side, there’s a to-do list section with checkboxes so it’s easier to tick things off.

It’s not meant to be like a journal where you keep it even after the tasks or notes have served their purpose. It’s a tear-away kind of pad where you can just tear it off and then throw it (or compile it somewhere else if that’s your thing). You can also scan your notes for posterity and then save it on your preferred notes app. It doesn’t seem to have a dedicated app that can automatically scan and store things for you so you have to do it the manual way.

The Sidekick Notepad has 60 pages of Munken Lynx paper so if you run out, you’ll have to buy a new notepad since it’s not refillable. The cover is made from something called “Extract”, a paper made from recycled coffee cups. This adds another layer of things that I love so this product seems to be created especially for people like me who still can’t let go of the analog stuff.

The post Sidekick Notepad is a simple writing tool for the digital/analog hybrid workers first appeared on Yanko Design.

Baldó Arquitectura references Japanese design for Spanish pool house

Exterior of Spanish pool house

Bamboo and an overhanging roof characterise Godai Pavilion, a pool house that Spanish studio Baldó Arquitectura has created for a home in rural Cantabria.

Located in northern Spain, the outbuilding is designed in line with the local climate and aims to showcase natural materials and Japanese design details.

Glazed facade of Spanish pool house by Baldo Arquitectura
Baldó Arquitectura referenced Japanese design for this Spanish pool house

Baldó Arquitectura positioned the pool house to the south of the site, creating an enclosed courtyard garden with the existing buildings on the plot.

“The pavilion [creates] a dialogue between different architectures, with the pool as a central element and a link between the existing home and the new pavilion,” the studio told Dezeen.

Pool and overhanging roof of the Spanish pool house
It features an overhanging roof

Both the name and design of the project draw on the Japanese philosophy of godai, which centres on the five fundamental elements – earth, water, fire, wind, and space.

This concept unfolds through the structure’s large, protective roof and the transparency of the facades, which frame the surrounding landscape.

Overhanging roof and facade of the Spanish pool house by Baldó Arquitectura in Cantabria
The glazed facades frame the surrounding landscape

Godai Pavilion’s facades transition from solid to void and are decorated with bamboo slats. According to the studio, the slats are modelled on the Fibonacci sequence and help provide privacy and controlled natural lighting.

Bamboo is also used inside the pavilion, aiming to evoke Japanese-style tatami rooms. Meanwhile, the ceilings are intended to echo the art of origami.

Inside, a triple-aspect living space opens out onto a timber deck where steps lead down to the pool.

As well as having bamboo on its internal and external facades, the pavilion integrates cork and mineral rock wool insulation, local pine, and recycled oriented strand board (OSB) panels into its construction.

Bamboo interior of the Spanish pool house by Baldó Arquitectura in Cantabria
Bamboo is used inside the pool house to evoke Japanese-style tatami rooms

Baldó Arquitectura also incorporated passive design systems for solar and rain protection, such as the large roof which provides shade and reduces solar gain.

“The local climate takes on a fundamental value, where strong winds, rain and summer sun become protagonists,” explained the studio.

Interior and ceilings of a Spanish pool house in Cantabria
The bamboo ceilings are intended to echo the art of origami

Baldó Arquitectura was founded by José Baldó Sierra and has studios in both Asturias and Madrid.

Other pool houses recently featured on Dezeen include Refuge by NWLND Rogiers Vandeputte and a geometric structure by Surman Weston. These are both featured in our roundup of tranquil pool houses that add luxury to gardens.

The post Baldó Arquitectura references Japanese design for Spanish pool house appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen's top 10 US architecture projects of 2023

Brooklyn Tower distance at dusk

From skyscrapers by SHoP Architects and BIG to the world’s largest spherical structure in Las Vegas, we select 10 of this year’s most talked-about architecture projects in the United States as part of our 2023 review.

This year’s roundup of the biggest and best from the United States also includes some residential projects from New England to California, including a sculptural home in the Hamptons and a black-brick home in Washington.

Read on for Dezeen’s top 10 US architecture projects of 2023.


Brooklyn Tower distance at dusk
Photo by Max Touhey

The Brooklyn Tower, New York City, by SHoP Architects

This 1,066-foot-tall (325 metres) skyscraper is the first supertall skyscraper in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The skyscraper is characterised by its blackened panels and bronze and copper pilasters, which make it stand out on the borough’s skyline.

The skyscraper holds luxury residential units and the interiors were informed by a historic bank that was attached to the structure at its base. The tower sparked debate in the architectural community and was selected by Dezeen’s readers as the year’s best skyscraper by an open poll.

Find out more about the Brooklyn Tower ›


Gilder Center Atrium
Photo by Iwan Baan

The Gilder Center, New York City, by Studio Gang

Informed by cave formations, the Gilder Center is an extension of the American Museum of Natural History alongside Central Park in Manhattan.

An undulating stone facade conceals the cavern-like interior. The sloping walls and bridges were covered using Shotcrete, a method that allows concrete to be sprayed onto formwork.

Find out more about the Gilder Center ›


Oxford Triangle house
Photo by Edmund Sumner

Oxford Triangle Home, Los Angeles, by Matthew Royce 

Glass, concrete, steel and wood characterise the facade of this home on a corner lot in Venice Beach. The front of the home is wrapped in a pool and patio and the site includes a wood-clad guest house.

Inspired by Iranian architecture, Royce, who designed the home for himself and his family, included some passive cooling elements such as subterranean reflecting pools.

Find out more about Oxford Triangle Home ›


Lunar display on MSG Sphere Las Vegas
Photo by Sphere Entertainment

MSG Sphere, Las Vegas, by Populous

This theatre in Las Vegas achieved double records. Not only is it the largest spherical structure in the world, its exterior is also fitted with the largest LED screen, which allows for any number of projections.

Large-scale visual displays are also a feature of the interior. The Sphere’s theatre has a massive sloping screen that allows for immersive concert experiences.

Find out more about MSG Sphere ›


The Spiral by BIG
The photo is by Laurian Ghinițoiu

The Spiral, New York City, BIG

The Spiral rises 1,031 feet (314 metres) into the air in the city’s Hudson Yards development and is the Danish studio’s first-ever supertall skyscraper.

Inspired by “ziggurats” the structure has a stepped facade that contains a terrace that wraps around the structure. The terrace has been planted with outdoor gardens and allows for outdoor access on each of the office building’s 66 storeys.

Find out more about The Spiral ›


Wrapper tower with staircase and core outlined by Eric Owen Moss
Photo by Tom Bonner

(W)rapper Tower, Los Angeles, by Eric Owen Moss

Standing out against the low-lying structures in the vicinity, (W)rapper Tower is an office building with a T-shaped form outside of Los Angeles.

Built to be earthquake-resistant, the structure is characterised and named after the steel beams clad with a cementitious material that stretch from the interior to the exterior.

Find out more about (W)rapper Tower ›


Hamptons home of interior designer Timothy Godbold
Photo by David Mitchell

Hamptons Home, Southhampton, by Timothy Godbold

This renovation of a 1970s house in the Hamptons included painting the trapezoidal exterior in black to distinguish its perched picture windows.

The architect, who lives in the house, took influences from the hideouts of James Bond movie villains and included industrial elements in the interior.

Find out more about Godbold’s Hamptons home ›


Whit modernist house with swimming pools in sand dune
Photo by Iwan Baan

Blue Dream, East Hampton, Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Though completed in 2017, this home in the Hamptons in New York was kept under wraps for years. Its beachside location and expressive roof distinguish the home.

In order to accomplish the smooth, sculptural roof, the studio used a glass-reinforced polymer often used for boats and in the aerospace industry. The smooth lines of the roof continue to the interior.

Find out more about Blue Dream ›


The Rambler GO'C
Photo by Kevin Scott

The Rambler, Seattle, by GO’C

Located on a wooded site northwest of Seattle, the Rambler consists of a simple rectangular form placed on a concrete plinth. Black brick and glass characterise the exterior facade, with breeze-block walls at places to create semi-enclosed spaces.

The single-floor house includes an overhanging roof with soffits of Douglas fir and features an open floor plan.

Find out more about The Rambler ›


Perelman Center daytime
Photo by Iwan Baan

The Perelman Center, New York City, by REX

Part of the World Trade Center site, the Perelman Center is a performance art centre with an expressive facade made from thin pattern-matched marble that allows for the structure to appear illuminated like a lantern at night.

Because of the complicated city infrastructure, the whole of the theatre was suspended above the base and includes several elements that enable to cubic structure to attain dozens of different configurations for performances.

Find out more about the Perelman Center ›

The post Dezeen’s top 10 US architecture projects of 2023 appeared first on Dezeen.

Five interviews that discuss the recruitment needs of creative studios

Spiky light fitting in church

Celebrating the 15 years that Dezeen Jobs has been connecting employers and candidates, Dezeen has spoken to professionals about their evolving recruitment practices.

Our Dezeen Jobs: How We Recruit series delves into the processes that creative companies and studios have put into place in the last few years, alongside the top pieces of advice they would like applicants to take on board when applying for roles.

Read on to see a distilled roundup of five more of these conversations, including interviews with the chair of BDP‘s North Region, Sue Emms; senior designer at David Collins Studio, Kate Jarrett; Sybarite‘s chief operating officer, Natasha Manzaroli; vice president of product design and brand creative for Design Within Reach, Omar Nobil; and Studio Piet Boon‘s chief design officer, Roland Kokkeler and studio manager Tim Vogel.


Lit up building at nighttime

Sue Emms, chair of BDP’s North Region

Emms highlighted the importance of broadening BDP‘s talent pool when looking for potential candidates, in the interest of opening up the architecture profession to those who are underrepresented in the discipline.

In the interview, Emms also told Dezeen about how the studio endeavours to instil confidence in applicants by offering buddy services to individuals who have just begun careers in the company.

“We are a very diverse practice in terms of what we offer, with different sectors and disciplines,” said Emms. “But it’s really important that the diversity of our people represents the communities we’re designing for.”

View more of the interview ›


Kate Jarrett, senior designer at David Collins Studio

Jarrett acknowledged the importance of applicants exhibiting soft skills as workplaces – including David Collins Studio – aim to rebuild the company culture that was diluted during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jarrett said that social media sites such as Instagram and LinkedIn have supplemented traditional word of mouth and job platforms when seeking candidates.

“I think both recruitment practices and candidates have changed considerably over the past 10 years,” said Jarrett. “With information at our fingertips, thanks to technology and social media, we are looking for more than just technical skills.”

View more of the interview ›


Natasha Manzaroli, chief operating officer at Sybarite

Manzaroli conveyed Sybarite‘s increased desire to hire visualisation specialists as well as environmentally aware creatives.

She also expressed the studio’s need for applicants with strong skills in software such as Rhino, Revit and AutoCAD – Sybarite’s core software programmes.

“We primarily look for candidates who exhibit quality work in their portfolios, emphasising precision and attention to detail in their graphics, passion for design and the willingness to experiment,” said Manzaroli.

“However, it is not just about the portfolio, it is about the person, their individuality, interests, passions, and what drives them to be designers – their very own USPs.”

View more of the interview ›


Omar Nobil, VP of product design and brand creative for Design Within Reach

Nobil’s interview saw him discuss the merits of hand sketching alongside polished 3D modelling and presentation skills when searching for candidates to join Design Within Reach.

He also highlighted that the studio is seeking individuals who have “a defiant optimism and a solution-oriented mindset”.

“It’s good to have a sketchbook – it’s good to be able to draw on a Post-it note in a meeting to express an idea,” said Nobil. “When people get a bit too caught up in the virtual space, they can get a little precious about presentation.”

“When you’re in the ideating stage of a design, it is much more important to communicate ideas than to present ideas.”

View more of the interview ›


Photo of lighting installation by Studio Piet Boon

Roland Kokkeler and Tim Vogel, chief design officer and studio manager at Studio Piet Boon

Kokkeler and Vogel described Studio Piet Boon‘s shift from placing importance on manual skills to digital skills.

They also spotlighted the significance of collaboration and communication at all levels to create a cohesive working environment for the studio’s staff.

“Our team maintains a strong, family-like unity, ensuring our multidisciplinary approach is effectively realised,” said Kokkeler.

“Our practice thrives on a multidisciplinary approach, the balance of specialisation in certain roles, and the strong unity of our team, all of which collectively define our identity and drive our success.”

View more of the interview ›

Dezeen Jobs: How We Recruit

This article is part of Dezeen Jobs: How We Recruit, a series of interviews to mark Dezeen Jobs turning 15, which explores changing hiring practices and future recruitment needs for companies around the world.

The post Five interviews that discuss the recruitment needs of creative studios appeared first on Dezeen.

This week we revealed the UK's best new house

Green House in Tottenham

This week on Dezeen, a polycarbonate London home modelled on a riad was named the Royal Institute of British Architects’ House of the Year for 2023.

The House of the Year prize – which is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) to the best one-off, architect-designed house in the UK – went to Green House in Tottenham, London.

The home was designed by architecture studio Hayhurst & Co, which slotted it into a tight site in an alleyway. The “green oasis” features plenty of greenery and has a facade with sliding polycarbonate screens.

Peach Fuzz
“Compassionate and nurturing” Peach Fuzz was named Pantone Colour of the Year

Colour specialist Pantone announced a subtle orangey hue called Peach Fuzz as its colour of the year this week. According to Pantone, the pale hue was chosen to express a yearning for community and cosiness during uncertain times.

“Peach Fuzz is a compassionate and nurturing soft peach shade whose heartfelt kindness and all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body and soul,” said the institute’s vice president Laurie Pressman.

Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla’s Cybertruck was launched

Miami art week began this week and we reported on a number of projects being shown as part of the design event. In the Miami Design District, Tesla unveiled its angular stainless-steel Cybertruck. The controversial design is now available in showrooms.

Another car design seen at the event was designer Marjan van Aubel’s “interpretation” of an electric Lexus model created using a series of multicoloured, illuminated photovoltaic sheets.

Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Frank Gehry showcased handbags designed for fashion house Louis Vuitton in Miami, including bags that were informed by his Guggenheim Museum and Museum of Pop Culture.

Christian Louboutin portrait by Jose Castellar
We interviewed Christian Louboutin

This week also saw Dezeen’s digital editor Rupert Bickersteth interview French shoe designer Christian Louboutin about his work.

The designer shared his belief that it’s “fine to be useless,” adding: “You sort of have to be perseverant. And when you are believing in something, you have to go for it.”

We also featured the designer’s latest project, a 13-room boutique hotel in Portugal that was “designed at the scale of the hand”.

Houses designed by Shigeru Ban
Shigeru Ban unveiled a Maldives resort

In architecture news, this week saw the unveiling of Japanese architect Shigeru Ban’s design for the Infinite Maldives resort, which will feature rows of timber houses on the water that will surround landscaped gardens.

Architecture studio Foster + Partners also revealed one of its upcoming designs, a mixed-use development in Miami, Florida, that will reference the state’s “vernacular architecture” and be located on the Lincoln Road shopping street.

Hush pods designed by Freyja Sewell
 Freyja Sewell wrote an opinion on pods

In an opinion piece this week, artist and designer Freyja Sewell argued that the pod has become a standard part of open-plan interior landscapes, something she believes can be tied to our need for privacy.

“After all, privacy has become an even more elusive and rare condition, with pervasive CCTV, the rise of open-plan offices and the pressure to record and share almost every moment through the ubiquitous camera phone,” Sewell said.

Community centre in Bangalore by A Threshold
A community centre was one of this week’s most read projects

Popular project stories on Dezeen this week included a community centre in India disguised as “ancient ruins”, a renovation of a London home that was designed to create a “country house in miniature” and a duo of sculptural pavilions in the Chilean countryside.

This week on Dezeen

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week’s top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don’t miss anything.

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Top 10 3D-Printed Ornaments to Upgrade your Christmas Tree Decoration Game

Instead of decking the halls with boughs of holly, deck them with rolls of filament instead! Sure, that doesn’t sound particularly festive at first thought, but it’ll make much more sense when you see these absolutely gorgeous 3D-printed Christmas ornaments we’ve hand-picked for you. We scoured the internet to find some of the most eye-catching 3D prints that perfectly capture the holiday spirit, from geometric snowflakes to some pretty beautiful-looking baubles. Ditch the boring old store-bought ornaments this year, fire up your 3D printer, and make your own (or rent a 3D printer for cheap). They’re sure to add a touch of individuality to your tree this year, they’ll print in mere hours instead of taking days to deliver, and you’ll definitely have people asking you where you got them!

1. Christmas Tree Ornament Set by Popandsicle

Popandsicle’s Christmas Tree Ornament Set is a brilliant way to give your tree a unique aesthetic that’ll have friends and family wondering where you got those ornaments from. The captivating spiral shape of the ornaments instantly catches your eye – even more so when printed in a metallic-colored or shiny filament. Quite literally putting a ‘twist’ on traditional holiday decorations, this set features a range of designs, each optimized for 3D printing in vase mode (or printing upside down). The collection comes in a set of 6 ornaments that print rather quickly, and are free to download off Prusa’s Printables website.

2. Christmas Village by FiveNights

Less for your treetop and more for the tabletop, this 3D-printed Christmas Village is just a glorious little project with a lot of intricate details that make it a nice challenge for the seasoned printing expert. Designed to look like a cosy hilltop village, the print comes with what presumably looks like a snowcapped terrain with roads, rails, houses, and trees galore. The entire print can be done without supports, says the maker, and you’ve got a hatch at the bottom for inserting an LED lamp or your smartphone flash. Once illuminated from the inside, the village really does come to life as light makes its way through the translucent body of the print and through the doors and windows of all the houses. The print files are available for free from Ultimaker’s Thingiverse website.

3. Baby Yoda Christmas Ornament by Psdwizzard

Nothing shows you have elevated eclectic tastes more than having a Baby Yoda bauble hanging from your Christmas tree. Sure, everyone opts for the spheres, lights, stars, and personal photographs, but there’s just something so perfect about your own personal Grogu dressed as Santa hanging from your tree. This decorated character from the Mandalorian comes with its own Santa robe and hat, is is pictured here holding a decorative orb. Printing it is relatively simple, although you will require supports. The entire thing prints in a single color and needs to be post-processed and painted by hand, which should be a fun activity if you’re a fan of the Star Wars universe, eh? The Baby Yoda Christmas Ornament is available to download for free on the Thingiverse website.

4. Christmas Ball by cunicode

The beauty of these Christmas ornaments from cunicode lies in A. the fact that their complex geometry can only be machine-made using 3D printing, and B. they’re large, eye-catching, but incredibly lightweight, so you can deck your tree with as many of them without them weighing your branches down. “Since 3D Printing costs are driven by volume and material used, I designed the geometry of these balls to use minimum material while keeping maximum strength,” cunicode says. The 3D STL file for the Christmas Ball is available for free on the Thingiverse Website.

5. Deer in the Mountains by jdormer9

Yet another tabletop accessory to bring the holiday spirit, this one gets props for its artistic flair. The Deer in the Mountains print from jdormer9 is an elegant 2D graphic of a deer against white mountains. Artistically, it gets full marks for its uniquely minimalist style, although functionally I would love to have seen a built-in card holder or something that adds a little more value to this piece. However, the beauty of 3D printing is that you can optimize designs to suit your own needs. Heck, add a card-holder at the back, turn the deer’s antlers into a keychain holder, go wild! The Deer in the Mountains 3D file is available for free on the Printables website.

6. Christmas Spiral Teardrop 2023 by Scott McClurg

Scott McClurg, who also goes by his internet moniker ‘dazus’ is a pretty big deal in the 3D-printed ornament space. McClurg’s works combine geometry with tradition, resulting in some of the most hypnotic, kaleidoscopic Christmas decorations your eyes will ever see. The 2023 Christmas Spiral Teardrop is remarkable to look at, especially given that it’s printed using a plastic filament with a silver-gold metallic finish. The ornament’s undulating interweaving surfaces catch light beautifully, creating wonderful contrasts that are further punctuated by the hollow spaces. Things get even more interesting when the ornaments spin, creating a hypnotic motion that’s difficult to look away from! The 2023 Christmas Spiral Teardrop, understandably, is one of the more tricky 3D prints to execute. The ornament needs quite a few supports, McClurg mentions, and there are a few more details to keep in mind while you run this print, which can be found on the Thingiverse website, along with the free 3D file for the ornament.

7. Open Lattice Christmas Bell by Scott McClurg

It was a pretty herculean task zeroing down on just one of McClurg’s ornaments, so here’s another one that we can’t stop admiring. With a similar interwoven hypnotic lattice-esque design like the Christmas Spiral Teardrop, the Open Lattice Christmas Bell is a gorgeous themed ornament that adds gravitas and pizzazz to your tree without adding any weight. Its complex design does present a few challenges while printing, but it’s nothing a seasoned 3D printing enthusiast can’t handle. We recommend using a metallic-finish filament to give the bell some shimmer! The Open Lattice Christmas Bell is free to download on the Thingiverse website.

8. Gimbal Christmas Ornament by Jouni Ahola

Complex 3D prints are great, but what about kinetic ones? This Gimbal Christmas Ornament isn’t the kind you’d just hang on your tree and forget about. With multiple joints, it’s the kind of ornament you’d want to fiddle with, adjusting, readjusting, and fidgeting just because it’s so much visual and tactile fun. Designed to be a single-print design, this marvel from Jouni Ahola prints flat, but can then be flipped around like a Rubik’s cube, or more accurately, a gimbal. Like the rest of the ornaments, this one too is free to download, and can be found on the Thingiverse website.

9. Merry Bird Christmas Ornament by Michiel Cornelissen

Call it an adorable ornament or a metaphor for a certain social media company, this bird-in-a-cage ornament is lightweight and exceedingly charming to look at, even though it’s literally a print of a bird trapped inside a Christmas ornament. It has all the hallmarks of a good 3D printed ornament, with its lightweight, hollow, yet intricate design. The bird is hinged, which means it swings to and fro inside its spherical cage, and although it isn’t available for free like any of the other ornaments, you can directly buy it from the Shapeways website and they’ll print it out and send the ready ornament directly to your doorstep!

10. Trippy Snowflake Kinetic Sculpture by JBV Creative

Less of an ornament and more of a kinetic toy, the Trippy Snowflake Kinetic Sculpture is something you’ll constantly find yourself reaching for, sort of like a snowglobe but more enchanting. The multi-part sculpture features a geared mechanism that causes two snowflakes to rotate in opposite directions when you crank the handle, creating a hypnotic, alluring optical illusion. Perhaps one of the most complex and lengthy builds in this collection, the sculpture has multiple parts and components that need to be printed separately (although if you have a large print bed you can print multiple parts at the same time). Given how detailed and thorough it is, this print isn’t available for free either, and the STL file will cost you $45, but the benefit is that once you buy the file, you can print as many of these as you want! Heck, gift them to friends as stocking stuffers too! You can buy the Trippy Snowflake Kinetic Sculpture 3D file on the JBV Creative website.

The post Top 10 3D-Printed Ornaments to Upgrade your Christmas Tree Decoration Game first appeared on Yanko Design.

With its tactical accessories, this company plans to add value and substance to oddly-shaped Cybertruck

After what seemed like a long time due, Tesla very recently handed over the first limited production units of the Cybertruck electric pickup. If you are one of the select few to have gotten your hands on the oddly-shaped truck, you have reasons to rejoice. Unplugged Performance, a developer of stylish and high-performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, has stepped up with a range of Up Invincible accessories for the Cybertruck that intend to improve every aspect, on and off-road – of the pickup’s driving and ownership experience.

The launch of the aftermarket accessories aligns with the Cybertruck’s delivery event last week, and steps up the customization game for the owners to give their purchase an even more exciting outlook. The range of accessories includes lift kits, steel bumpers, armor, carbon fiber panels, LED lights, and more. All of which individually or together (if your pocket allows) would put the already unique Cybertruck into a never-fatomed pickup category.

Designer: Unplugged Performance

According to the creator, some of the accessories in the Up Invincible range should be available starting this month, while most of them will only be launched in the first quarter of 2024. Nonetheless, while we are at it, the standard upgrades to tune the Cybertruck’s off-roading capabilities include the 2.5-inch lift kit which enhances the ground clearance to 19.5 inches without affecting the truck’s inherent air suspension and other elements.

Taking the word hardcore to the next level are the 20-inch beadlock wheels and the brake rotors. These are meant for off-roading but are legal for everyday commutes in the Cybertruck. While the lift kit is priced at $9,950, the beadlock wheel and brake rotors would set you back up to $2,290 and $2,390 respectively.

The Up Invincible is not only about enhancing the off-road ability of the already capable Cybertruck. In fact, the range of accessories that make the Cybertruck a road wonder includes steel front bumpers, front and rear carbon fiber fender flares, a front bull bar, and an underbody armor that provides ribbed protection for your truck. Additional excitements to retrofit the Cybertruck are a roof rack and a carbon fiber hood with Kevlar reinforcement that fits atop the steel hood of the standard Tesla truck.

What really makes a statement and adds to the umpteen usability is the Unplugged Performance’s fully enclosed and lockable rail-based bed storage system. The storage drawers here are more secure and have a sizable capacity. These are accessible via the tailgate or can be reached through the hatch doors from the top. This $100 system along with a 50-inch LED light bar gives the Cybertruck more flare and functionality.

The retrofit accessories generally add to the drag of a vehicle. How much will these mentioned accessories, and others in the range, affect that of the Cybertruck is not yet pointed out. But these are the first real upgrades to be available for the Tesla’s ambitious pickup truck after the Basecamp tent that we have discussed this past week since the Cybertruck production models have gone out.

 

The post With its tactical accessories, this company plans to add value and substance to oddly-shaped Cybertruck first appeared on Yanko Design.